June 11, 2007
Bored of the millennium
Some friends here just published the second edition of Abiy Guday - The Big Issue Ethiopia - a magazine sold by homeless people that I am helping with.
Unfortunately we made a big mistake with the cover. I thought Ethiopia's coming millennium would make a great issue for the magazine and designed a cover with the figure '2000' repeated three times in the colours of the Ethiopian flag.
But it turns out that the average Ethiopian consumer is bored to tears of the Millennium. In fact, they associate the hype around it with the government which, if you remember from the last election, is not all that popular in Addis Ababa. So the homeless vendors are having to try extra hard to persuade people to buy this edition.
It is a shame, because inside, there is an essay by an unnamed Addis University student expressing some of their frustrations with the big event. (See the article below.) We are still working on the magazine website. But if you see somone selling it in the street, please look beyond the cover and buy a copy.
I'm trying, but I just can not get excited by ET 2000
By an AAU student
I am sorry to have to say this, just as everyone is starting to get so excited about the dawn of our new millennium. But I have been trying and trying. And I still can not get excited about it.
I know it is unique and I know it is uniquely Ethiopian. I know that it will, technically, mark the beginning of a new era. And I know that it might pull in a few more tourists, and some more millionaires from the diaspora. Maybe we might even get a few more foreign journalists flying in to write some nice things about us for a change.
But, come on. Is your pulse really racing and your heart really beating faster because 1999 is about to turn into 2000 – seven years after everyone else?
Here are my three main reasons for not getting excited about this coming millennium.
Number one: The whole thing is so abstract. If you look at it coldly, it actually means nothing. The second hand on the clock moved forward a few millimeters and one day turns into another day, one month into another month. Nothing has really moved on. Nothing has changed in a real sense. Why not put equal effort into celebrating the transition from 1998 to 1999? Are we really that excited about the arrival of a nice round number?
Number two: Most of the official millennium events are going to be organised by a committee. It might be an independent committee, not a government committee. But it is still a committee. When was the last time you had a good time at anything organised by a committee? Don't bother checking the program. You know what is coming. Huge, carefully orchestrated events. Long, long speeches. Every civic group will have a chance to have its say. Every government minister will have their five minutes speaking on ETV. And what are the chances that Teddy Afro will sing? Zero.
Number three: What do we really have to celebrate at the moment? Trouble is pushing in at us from every border – what are the millennium parties going to be like in Somali region, in Gambella? And you don't need me to remind you about all those terrible development statistics.
How about if, instead of all this effort to mark the millennium, we focus our minds on something else, something more concrete. How about if we work out ways to develop the economy and become self-sufficient by 2010 - another nice round number? We could hold a huge party and make lots of speeches – ‘Thank you Mr UNICEF, thank you Ms Red Cross. You have helped us for so long. And we are hugely grateful. But we don't need you anymore.' That would get them dancing in the streets.
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Posted by aheavens at June 11, 2007 8:07 AM
Comments
Wellcome back, Andrew. I`m spanish jornalist. Can I help you for The Big Issue from hera. I'll very gald to take part of my children country.
Good job.
Posted by: Carlos at June 11, 2007 2:05 PM
Andrew,
May be you, your wife and your anti-EPRDF buddies may not be excited about the new millennium, but Ethiopians all over the world are ready to usher in the new Ethiopian millennium in a festive mood.
Thanks
Posted by: Tade at June 11, 2007 2:49 PM
Brilliant essay!
Posted by: quixote at June 11, 2007 3:53 PM
“Ethiopians all over the world are ready to usher in the new Ethiopian millennium in a festive mood…”, ohohoh…. mr. tplf yes you are in a festive mood but the rest of Ethiopian who don’t have nothing to eat will not be in a festive mood as you are.
Any way, welcome back, Andrew.
Posted by: Baheilu at June 12, 2007 1:29 AM
Welcome back, Andrew.
I'm not at all excited about our Y2K either, and I liked the AAU student's essay. (Tade, speak for yourself)
So far my experience has been that those who're vocal about are tired of the topic as well. But I still know of a few who're going to Addis for New Year.
Besides New Year never used to be a public affair when i was growing up in Ethiopia. Whatever was public was done for/by the government (and clouded by celebrations for the 'Abiot' on Meskerem 2) Maybe things have changed since ...
Posted by: Tobian at June 12, 2007 4:10 PM
One thing I am triying to understand, whay in the hell people are making this so political? This has nothing to do with the government! Don't you celebrat Fassika? Don't you celebrate Meskel? Don't you celebrate Enkutatash? So why is this becoming an issue?
This comes once in 100 years, this could be a time to start a new chapter. Why in the bloody hell people are so negative? Who gives a rat about TPLF (as much as I hate their guts)?
The AAU Cry! Cry! Baby Student, tell me why you are so negative? Forget everything and just like you welcome addis amet, welcome the new milli-et. This is not about the rich and the poor, this is not about the low class and high class, this is not about CUD and TPLF...this is just a new year for the whole nation..a new milli, a bigger version of enkutatash!!
I need to stop here!!
Posted by: Seyoum at June 12, 2007 6:19 PM
Andrew
Do not try to entice me to by your magazine claiming "an-anti millennium" toothless article.
Because it is managed by a "commitee"? Give me a break.
What about suggesting like Adddis Ababans are not in a mood to celebrate because their elected leaders are incarcerated.
Posted by: Shibo gebi at June 12, 2007 10:07 PM
"the average Ethiopian consumer "
poverty might have helped for only the voice of addis ababa and few urban places to be heard OVER the voice the rest of 85% of ethiopia.
but why does this keep journalists away from bringing the voice of the rest 85% ethiopia??
when the "average ethiopian consumer" becomes the average addis ababa resident for a foreign journalist, that is when he/she should wake up and reflect on his/her journalism coverage issues. around 100,000 somalis in the Somali state of ethiopia went to the stadium to celebrate the last holiday. guess what? the somali state is the most impoverished & unstable of ALL ethiopian states!!! that shows a typical journalist how big the millennium will be in most of the other states...
if it wasn't about the CUD politics in addis ababa, they would have celebrated it.
they are currently in a classroom learning a special pre-requiste course known as "Democracy and elections"
from this class the pro-CUD in addis ababa will learn that not winning an election is not the end of one's life. sharing power and accepting concrete results is a democratic characterstics. it is understandable that they want to see all Tigrayans and EPRDF dead. if anyone remembers, this was the wish of some hardcore "shewa amhara neftenga" addis ababa residents EVEN in 1991. it is the same old same old. but after the class, they might get a passing grade enough to learn some democratic values and reasoning abilities. losing an election is not the end of one's life afterall. as the 90% of opposition party MPs can testify to the hardcore.
i feel bad because some addis ababa pro-All amhara organization (AAPO-AEUP) supporters will not finish their course & lesson on democracy until it is TOO LATE for them to enjoy the millennium.
Posted by: ethio at June 13, 2007 7:51 PM
I really like the concept of the magazine and who it is sold by. How does one help out with this project besides buying and promoting it?
Posted by: ZeLaN at June 18, 2007 7:56 AM